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Eddie Butler: Heads to Korea

by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire

Butler agreed to a contract Monday with the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization on a one-year, $1 million contract that includes a $200,000 signing bonus, Jee-ho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency reports.

The 28-year-old recently lost his spot on the Rangers' 40-man roster and was subsequently outrighted to the minor leagues. Rather than accepting a minor-league assignment and remaining a member of the Texas organization, Butler will bolt overseas for a more lucrative payday than he would have earned stateside. Depending on how well he performs in Korea, Butler could generate renewed interest from MLB teams when he becomes a free agent next winter.

Butler was removed from the 40-man roster to make room for minor-league prospects prior to the Rule 5 draft. The 27-year-old made 30 relief appearances between the Cubs and Rangers a season ago, posting a 5.62 ERA and 1.57 WHIP with 29 strikeouts over 49.2 frames.

Butler will get multi-inning duty as the Rangers evaluate him as a possible starter, Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News reports. Manager Jeff Banister wants to get a better feel for where Butler may fit in the team's plans.

That experiment began Thursday, when Butler finished up the final 3.2 innings of Texas' 17-8 win over the Orioles. The 27-year-old, who was acquired from the Cubs as part of the Cole Hamels trade, had been used primarily as a starter with the Cubs and Rockies before pitching exclusively out of the bullpen in 2018. Banister intends to have Butler piggy-back with a current rotation member in an effort to stretch him out, with an eye toward having him compete as a starter next spring.

Butler was traded to Texas on Thursday alongside Rollie Lacy and a player to be named later in exchange for Cole Hamels.

Butler made eight appearances for the Cubs this season after dealing with a groin injury for a couple months, logging a 4.08 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 17.2 innings of relief. Look for him to be deployed as a multi-inning reliever in a similar capacity to what he was in Chicago, while also having the ability to start games if necessary.

Butler (groin) allowed one earned run over two innings in Tuesday's loss to the Diamondbacks, which marked his first appearance at the MLB level since April 19.

Butler's season barely got started before he was shut down with a right groin strain, so it was good to see him back on the hill Tuesday. If the 27-year-old righty can stay healthy, he figures to serve in a long-relief role the rest of the year for the Cubs.